Hopper for a flexible mat forming system

Abstract

In embodiments, a flexible mat forming system includes a rotating drum having a plurality of mold cavities; a hopper that receives a hardenable paste and deposits the hardenable paste into the mold cavities as the drum rotates relative to the hopper; and a sheet of mesh material that is fed between the hopper and the mold cavities facing the hopper. The hopper includes a plurality of side walls and a bottom panel having an opening, wherein the plurality of walls and the bottom panel define an interior chamber; and an auger rotatably mounted in the interior chamber and having a plurality of radially extending protrusions along a length thereof, the radially extending protrusions including angled surfaces to displace the material received in the interior chamber along a length of the interior chamber to fall through the opening into the mold cavities.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hopper for receiving and depositing a material, the hopper comprising:
 a plurality of side walls and a bottom panel having an opening which includes a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of side walls and the bottom panel define an interior chamber of the hopper; and 
 an auger rotatably mounted in the interior chamber, the auger having a plurality of radially extending protrusions along a length thereof, the radially extending protrusions including surfaces angled relative to a central rotational axis of the auger to displace the material received in the interior chamber along a length of the interior chamber to fall through the opening, 
 
       wherein the protrusions include a plurality of paddles distributed along a length of the auger, 
       wherein the paddles include the surfaces, and wherein the paddles are aligned with the slots. 
     
     
       2. The hopper of  claim 1 , wherein the auger includes a central shaft rotatably mounted within the interior chamber to which the protrusions are attached and extend radially therefrom. 
     
     
       3. The hopper of  claim 1 , wherein the paddles include opposing flat surfaces that are planar in shape and are oriented perpendicular, or generally perpendicular, to the central rotational axis. 
     
     
       4. The hopper of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusions include a plurality of rods extending radially from and spaced about a periphery of a central shaft of the auger. 
     
     
       5. The hopper of  claim 4 , wherein the rods and the paddles are spaced alternately along the length of the central shaft. 
     
     
       6. The hopper of  claim 4 , wherein the rods include ends beveled to provide close clearance with an inner surface of the interior chamber of the hopper. 
     
     
       7. The hopper of  claim 1 , further comprising an enlarged feed chute at an end of the hopper for receiving the material. 
     
     
       8. The hopper of  claim 7 , wherein the hopper includes an open top for receiving the material into the interior chamber. 
     
     
       9. The hopper of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of side walls includes a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of lateral walls extending between the front wall and the rear wall. 
     
     
       10. The hopper of  claim 9 , wherein the auger is rotatably mounted on and extends between the pair of lateral walls. 
     
     
       11. The hopper of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of side walls defines an upper portion having an open top and downwardly extending and converging front and rear walls, a central section having front and rear walls shaped to form a trough with an arcuate bottom, and a lower section having downwardly and outwardly diverging front and rear walls. 
     
     
       12. A hopper system for receiving a hardenable paste and depositing the hardenable paste into a plurality of mold cavities, the hopper system comprising:
 a plurality of side walls and a bottom panel having an opening above the mold cavities, wherein the plurality of side walls and the bottom panel define an interior chamber of the hopper; 
 a powered auger rotatably mounted in the interior chamber, the powered auger having a central shaft and a plurality of paddles extending radially from the central shaft and spaced along a length of the central shaft, the paddles having surfaces angled relative to a rotational axis of the central shaft to displace the hardenable paste received in the interior chamber along a length of the interior chamber to fall through the opening into the plurality of mold cavities; and 
 a rotatable drum positioned below the opening and having the plurality of mold cavities. 
 
     
     
       13. The hopper system of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of rods extending radially from and spaced about a periphery of the central shaft. 
     
     
       14. The hopper system of  claim 13 , wherein the rods and the paddles are arranged in alternating relation along the length of the central shaft. 
     
     
       15. The hopper system of  claim 12 , wherein the opening of the bottom panel includes spaced slots extending a length of the hopper, each of the spaced slots shaped and positioned to align with the mold cavities; and wherein the paddles are positioned along the length of the central shaft and are aligned with the spaced slots. 
     
     
       16. A method for depositing a hardenable paste into a plurality of mold cavities, the method comprising:
 depositing the hardenable paste into an interior chamber of a hopper having a plurality of side walls and a bottom panel having an opening above the mold cavities, the opening having a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of side walls and the bottom panel define the interior chamber; and 
 distributing the hardenable paste along a length of the interior chamber by rotating an auger mounted in the interior chamber, the auger having a plurality of paddles along a length of the auger that are aligned with the openings, the plurality of paddles having surfaces angled relative to a rotational axis of the auger to displace the hardenable paste deposited in the interior chamber along the length of the interior chamber to fall through the opening into the plurality of mold cavities. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein distributing the hardenable paste includes rotating the auger having a central shaft in which the paddles extend radially therefrom, and further including a plurality of rods extending radially from the central shaft and arranged in alternating relation with the paddles along a length of the central shaft. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein depositing the hardenable paste includes depositing the hardenable paste into the hopper having the opening including a plurality of slots aligned with the mold cavities; and wherein distributing the hardenable paste includes rotating the auger.